1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to footwear, particularly athletic footwear. The present invention also relates to skates such as in-line, roller, and ice skates. The footwear of the present invention is able to be adjusted in size to accommodate differently sized feet.
2. Description of the Related Art
The popularity of athletics has risen dramatically during the last generation. More and more people are participating in sports, especially sports which require specialized footwear such as in-line skating (both recreational and hockey), ice skating, skiing, and so on. The expense of participating in such sports is often directly proportional to the cost of purchasing the required specialized footwear. As the cost of the footwear is expensive, the cost of participation is accordingly expensive.
The cost of having children participate in these sports is particularly high because children's feet grow at such a fast pace that footwear needs to be continually replaced. One approach at overcoming the high expense of having children participate in sports is to purchase inexpensive footwear. However, inexpensive footwear is typically of low quality and, therefore, does not perform at the higher standards of better equipment. In addition, inexpensive footwear may be ill fitting and, thus, may result in injury.
Another approach has been to develop in-line skates which are expandable. In-line skates have a protective outer shell and a sole to which the wheel assembly is attached. Expandable skates have a slot and a nut which, when loosened, allows the user to adjust the size of the shell and the sole. This approach has a drawback in that the expandable skates are complicated and, accordingly, expensive. In addition, consumers may question the integrity and safety of a skate that pulls apart and expands. Also, although the outer shell is expandable, the inner sock or liner in which a foot is received is not adjustable and needs replacing, which is expensive as well.
Another approach at overcoming the high cost of purchasing specialized athletic footwear is to rent the footwear. For example, in many beach communities, for example, there are in-line skating rentals where a person may rent the skates on an hourly or daily basis. Also, many people rent ski equipment. One of the drawbacks of renting specialized athletic footwear is that often times the correctly sized footwear is not available. The renter then, out of necessity, rents footwear which does not fit properly. This is typically footwear of a larger size. As known, wearing improperly sized footwear is both uncomfortable and unsafe, particularly when participating in sports.